


Folie à Deux

by ydysprosium



Category: Batman (Comics), Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bruce Wayne Has Issues, Bruce Wayne Has Mental Health Issues, Community: dckinkmeme, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Gen, Hallucinations, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:02:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26097562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ydysprosium/pseuds/ydysprosium
Summary: After Dick leaves, Bruce loses touch with reality and starts hallucinating new robins.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne
Comments: 14
Kudos: 61





	Folie à Deux

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a DC Kink Meme prompt here: https://dckinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/766.html?page=84#comments

When Bruce told him about Jason, Dick’s first emotion was anger. At Bruce for so quickly replacing him, and being a hypocrite and putting another teenager in danger. At Bruce for taking Dick’s superhero identity and giving it away to a boy he’d never even met. And he was still mad at Bruce over their most recent fight, so he avoided the Manor for as long as he could. Ignored the invitations to come over for dinner, meet Jason, and patrol together. Bruce sounded lonely over the phone, even as he talked fondly about how quickly Jason was taking to the training. But Bruce shouldn’t be lonely; he had Alfred and Jason, didn’t he?

When Dick finally agreed to come over for a visit, Alfred seemed sad and distant, avoiding answering any direct questions about Jason. It was odd really, and as Dick walked through the Manor, his footsteps echoing in the hall, he realized he still hadn’t met Jason yet. He was probably with Bruce, basking in the glow of being the only favorite child, Dick thought darkly. 

Only, when Dick finally arrived at Bruce’s study and threw the door open, Bruce was alone in the room, working on Wayne Enterprises documents, with the desk lamp as the only light source.

“What the fuck, Bruce?” Dick asked, confusion building. With how rambunctious Bruce had claimed Jason was, it was odd that Dick hadn’t seen or heard him. And stranger still that he hadn’t been around either Alfred or Bruce. Did they allow Jason to train unsupervised in the Batcave already?

Bruce was up out of his chair in an instant, crossing the room with a look of fury on his face as he confronted Dick. “Don’t use that kind of language in front of Jason,” he hissed.

Dick stepped back, frowning in confusion. “Where is Jason, Bruce? I thought you invited me over to meet him.”

Bruce turned, his fury cooling into the regular underlying tension that seemed to always be between them. “I did invite you over, but I think maybe I made a mistake if you’re going to be so rude to your brother.”

“Bruce, the room is empty,” Dick said slowly, checking first to make certain Jason wasn’t hidden under the desk or climbing on the ceiling.

Bruce whirled, viciously slapping Dick’s face. “That’s not funny, Dick. I think you should leave if you’re going to insist on being so disrespectful.”

Dick swallowed and nodded, tears involuntarily filling his eyes from the sting of his cheek. He rushed back down the stairs and left, with only a quick farewell to Alfred.

He avoided Bruce as much as possible from then on, hoping that whatever the man was going through, it would eventually pass. And maybe Bruce was just playing an elaborate prank, seeing how long before Dick gave in and agreed with him. But whatever was going on, Dick was too busy with Nightwing and the Titans to have to give it much thought.

-

It wasn’t until much later, that he received a call from Alfred, informing him that Bruce was distraught, and could he please come visit, that Dick returned to the Manor. Dick could never refuse Alfred.

“He hasn’t eaten in three days, and spends all his time in the cave, going on about the Joker,” Alfred informed Dick, wringing his hands. “I hoped your presence might comfort him, bring him back to himself.”

Dick sighed, but agreed to go down to the cave and convince Bruce to stop whatever it was that he was doing to rest and eat.

It was dark and quiet and the stairs seemed to take longer to descend than he had ever remembered as the bats chittered and moved around on the ceiling.

“Dick,” Bruce said, and his eyes were red-rimmed. “Jason…he…the Joker killed him. And you didn’t even show up for the funeral.”

Dick fought the urge to facepalm. “Pull yourself together,” he told Bruce. “You’re worrying Alfred.”

“You don’t even care, do you?” Bruce continued, his voice raising with accusation. “You never liked Jason, you never came over or spent time with him, you were jealous!”

Dick folded his arms in front of him and glared at Bruce. He’d about had it with the man’s nonsense. “How can I be jealous of someone I never even saw?”

Bruce’s eyes widened, and he was breathing heavily. He stepped closer, and for a moment Dick thought that Bruce would strike him again, but instead he collapsed against Dick and started sobbing. “He looked just like you, you know,” Bruce managed between gasps for air.

Dick awkwardly pulled Bruce into a hug, and frowned. “Just like me?”

Bruce nodded. “It was like you never left sometimes.”

Later, after Bruce finished crying, he walked stiffly up the stairs, ate and went to bed, much to Alfred’s relief.

Dick resolved to keep a closer eye on Bruce.

-

Bruce and Batman seemed to get worse over the next few weeks, so bad that Dick soon felt he had no option but to try to make up a story for Bruce. The only other option would be to put on short shorts again and run around as Robin to keep an eye on Bruce, but Dick wasn’t about to do that unless the situation got really desperate.

“Bruce, do you remember your neighbors the Drakes?” he asked while visiting again at Alfred’s request.

Bruce was lying listlessly on the sofa, hand bandaged after he had beaten the Joker to a pulp. “Janet and Jack? Why?” he asked.

“And they had a son, Tim, he looks just like me when I first started out as Robin,” Dick said, feeling guilty at the fib, but unsure of how else to deal with Bruce.

“Tim?” Bruce frowned. “I don’t remember Tim.”

“He was probably at boarding school. Anyway, he’s back now, and he asked me if he could start training as Robin.”

Bruce was sitting up from the couch in an instant, his expression darkening. “How did he find out? You didn’t tell him, did you?”

“No, he figured it out on his own, he’d seen me perform at the circus before, and recognized on of my moves when I was Robin. He’s really clever.” And it really barely even felt like lying any more, it was more like building a story.

“Huh,” Bruce said, and relaxed back into the couch. “Do you think he’d make a good Robin?”

Dick nodded. “I think he’d be excellent.”

-

Bruce seemed to improve after Tim started working with him. Dick stopped by more often to check on things, and make sure Bruce was keeping Tim safe. It almost was like he really was there, and Dick talked to him now too. Not all the time, just when he was feeling stressed or lonely. Dick knew his friends on the Titans gave him strange looks sometimes, but it really wasn’t any of their business. He was just taking care of Tim for Bruce after all.


End file.
